Feature Article


Print to Cast: Additive Manufacturing’s Role in the Future of Casting Supply Chains


by Merrin Muxlow, Intrepid Automation T


he casting industry is the backbone of the manufacturing industrial base, playing a pivotal role in supporting the global economy. Still, the foundry sector faces a obstacle


considerable that impedes


the resilience necessary to meet industrial demands: not enough new workforce talent. According to a 2021 AFS Metalcasters Quarterly Outlook Survey, a staggering 85% percent of respondents cited labor shortages as a major concern.


In the book, “Producing Prosperity:


Why America Needs a Manufacturing Renaissance,” the authors highlight a likely reason: decades of undervaluing manufacturing and the misconception that innovation is primarily rooted in research and development. Manufacturing labor shortages lead to backlogs, loss of institutional knowledge, and an inability to respond quickly to increases in production


22 ❘ March 2024 ®


demand. This not only affects foundries, but the industries they serve, creating vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure that depends on cast metal parts. Additive Manufacturing (AM) for


investment casting (#AM4IC) presents a strategic solution that is poised to tackle this issue in 2 key ways: by marrying cost-saving technology with tried-and- true processes, foundries can both attract new talent and optimize production for leaner labor requirements in general.


Benefits for Foundries: Speed, Costs, and Expanded Scope Adopting 3D printed or “digital” casting patterns leads to substantial cost savings by both streamlining production and reducing labor and tooling costs. Traditional wax rooms are labor-cost intensive, need high- electricity temperature control, and are often difficult to automate for high- volume runs. By contrast, AM is easy


Photo above: Engine mount casting (right) in A356-76 aluminum made from digital casting pattern (left) replaced five conventionally machined components, reducing mass by 75%.


to automate, requires significantly less labor, and fully eliminates the need for costly tooling. Production can start within weeks, not months or even years. Because factoring in tooling costs and lead times isn’t an issue, MOQs aren’t a factor either. At Intrepid, we’ve enabled foundries to cast complex geometries in weeks, where prior they would have waited 6-9 months to have tooling made. More projects also become available when using AM patterns: for example, legacy or obsolete DoD parts where the tooling has been lost or damaged are easier to produce. More projects become more profitable, faster. AM also integrates into existing


workflows without large process or qualification overhauls. Given that the


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